Recycling symbols help to identify materials for correct recycling

Recycling symbols help to identify materials for correct recycling

Recycling symbols help to identify materials for correct recycling

Other materials recycling, Waste recycling

Recycling symbols help to identify materials for correct recycling

Responsible consumption requires the intention to contribute to optimising the recycling management of the different materials used to manufacture or package the products we buy. We know that we will throw them away sooner or later and that it is necessary to do it consciously to contribute to making our planet more sustainable. That is why it is essential to know the meaning of the recycling symbols that appear on many everyday items.

Icons and labels help us to identify whether they are products made from recycled materials, but also to know in which container they should be deposited for further treatment, once their useful life is over, or whether they should be taken to a local recycling centre, i.e. a green point or Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC). Therefore, when purchasing any product, we must pay attention to the labels and symbols on the containers or packaging, whether they are soft drink cans, bags, plastic bottles for household or personal cleaning products, cosmetics, etc.

Recycling symbols

It should be noted that although not all products have a label or icon specifically related to recycling, this does not mean that they cannot be recycled. Let’s review the meaning of the main symbols below:

Möbius loop

The Möbius loop. The Möbius or Moebius strip, divided into three parts, three arrows whose ends form a curve, is the international symbol of recycling. The three arrows represent the 3Rs of recycling – recycle, reduce and reuse – and also each point in the recycling process: waste collection, treatment, and purchase of recycled products. Thus, each arrow, like each R, represents continuity; a perpetual cycle, that is, one that repeats itself infinitely. For recyclable products, this symbol indicates that the materials from which they are made can be reused to make new products.

What is its origin? In 1970, on the first World Earth Day, the U.S. carton manufacturer Container Corporation of America (CCA) launched a national competition for art and design students to find an icon for an integrated waste management system. Among the more than 500 entries, Gary Anderson, a young architecture student, was the winner.

Tidyman, or the clean man.

Tidyman or ‘the clean man’. A green circle surrounds a human figure depositing waste in a litter garbage can. Without referring to any specific material or any property of the packaging on which this symbol is printed, its environmental connotation is very clear. This icon is intended to remind consumers of their obligation to dispose of waste in the right place; it appeals to their civic-mindedness and responsibility.

Green dot indicates that the packaging complies with recycling guidelines.

Green Dot. Designed in 1991 by the German company Duales System Deutschland AG, the Green Dot logo was adopted by the EU three years later to indicate that a package complies with recycling guidelines. It can be found on plastic, briks, cans, cardboard, paper and glass packaging. It consists of two green arrows, one darker than the other, which are joined together on a vertical axis to form a circle. This symbol is used on packaging in some European countries and shows that the producer contributes financially to the recovery and recycling of packaging. It is curious that, despite its name, this icon is not always green. This is because, in order to save production costs, it is adapted to the packaging design.

Recyclable

Recyclable. This icon can be found on products and packaging that can be sorted, processed and recycled into new packaging or products.

Non-recyclable.

Non-recyclable. This symbol applies to products and packaging whose manufacturing materials are impossible to sort, process and recycle.

Rinse

Rinse. Although in countries such as Spain it is not necessary to rinse the containers, as they can be discarded even if they have small traces, for example, of food, there are other European countries where it is mandatory to rinse recyclable containers, whether yogurt pots, food cans or bottles. The intention is to ensure that food or other product waste does not contaminate other materials, especially if it is collected together with paper.

Different materials, different symbols

There are different recycling symbols to identify different materials and remind us how to recycle them. Who hasn’t seen these icons before?

Paper and cardboard.

Paper and cardboard. The symbol of an open box informs us what the material it is printed on is made of. Instantly, it reminds us to dispose of it in the blue container.

Glass

Glass. This symbol, which combines the Möbius loop with the drawing of a person depositing a bottle inside a container, reminds us to choose the one that is usually shaped like an igloo and is green in color. It is an icon that emphasizes the importance of depositing glass in the place intended for them.

Waste electricals

Waste electricals. The symbol of a crossed-out container indicates that this waste cannot be thrown in the trash because it is not recyclable. It indicates the selective collection of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), which must be taken to clean points or to the stores where these products are sold, where they are collected and then disposed of correctly. This icon can be found on large and small household appliances, batteries and accumulators, computer equipment, consumer electronics, lighting, electrical and electronic tools, monitoring instruments, medical equipment, toys…

Aluminum

Aluminum. This icon appears on cans and containers made of aluminum, which may contain soft drinks, foodstuffs such as canned food, etc. It indicates that the can or container is made of recyclable aluminum.

Stainless steel

Stainless steel. This symbol found on products made of a metal as useful as stainless steel, indicates that they should be recycled correctly, that is, at the nearest recycling point.

Medicines

Medicines. All boxes of medicines dispensed in Spanish pharmacies are printed with the Sigre symbol (acronym for Integrated Packaging Management and Collection System). It reminds us that neither these products when expired nor their empty containers should be disposed of in the containers found in the street. They should be deposited in the pharmacy containers identified with this icon, so that they can be treated appropriately.

This system has equivalents across Europe under the framework of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), regulated by the EU Waste Framework Directive. While there isn’t a unified system across Europe, each country has its own model. Some notable examples include Cyclamed in France or (Duales System Deutschland (DSD) in Germany.

Finally, we would like to point out that there are 7 symbols to designate the different types of plastic that exist. If you are interested, don’t forget to pay attention to the next contents of our blog.